


Last Days of the Human Race

by Neonbluefox (tlanon)



Category: Earth: Final Conflict
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Angst, dark future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-10-01
Updated: 2002-10-01
Packaged: 2019-11-08 00:02:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17970593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tlanon/pseuds/Neonbluefox
Summary: A dark future AU I was writing that started out as a hunter rewrite without the crossover elements and then went full dark future.  Basically Howlyn fired the mother ship weapon and Ten years later Liam was brought back to life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First comments are screened and will never be read so please don't leave any. I don't even log into this account except when I'm adding older works simply so anyone who may be interested in them may read them.
> 
> I do not edit these fics this is simply archiving so all original mistakes are preserved Be Warned.
> 
> This fic has been backdated as close to its original publication date as I can get.

Earth Final Conflict: Last Days of the Human Race

Chapter One: Between Life and Death in the Castle in the Sky

The Mothership was cold the Atavan hybrid Colonel Liam Nevile Kincaide walked along the corridor infront of the cell quietly the thick coat doing nothing to reduce the chill. He knew he was up here because he had displeased the Atavus in some way. After all the only ones who ever got guard Duty for the Taelon Prisoner were those who had displeased the Atavus. He knew it would be another three hours before his meal was sent up and he knew it would be one of the scraggly old slaves only the Atavus got the healthy ones.

Ra'jel set calmly within the prison cell that he had been contained in for the past ten human years. "Is the cold getting to you." Kincaide turned a glare on the Taelon. "I see that is why your masters put you up here some part of you is still human enough to feel anger at me." Ra'jel watched as the hybrid turned away. "Does it trouble you to know that some part of you is still human the rest of your kind all threaten me when I tell them."

"It's not my job to threaten you it's my job to make sure you stay put." Kincaide said darkly. "So do us both a favor and shut up." He saw Ra'jel giving him a quizzical look and he turned away he hated the Taelon for speaking the truth he was still more human than Atavus and he hated that fact. All the other hybrids had begun to take on more Atavus like Features the older they got but he hadn't he'd stayed the same as the day ten years ago when he was hybridized.

Ra'jel was intrigued none of the other hybrids had retained so much humanity he wondered what it was about this one. He was about to attempt to get more information from the hybrid when the ship began to shudder and the energy field went down. "Atlast the waiting is over." Ra'jel said moving forward swiftly when the Hybrid tried to grab him he released a wave of Taelon Energy throwing the Hybrid to the ground. "I must be there when he returns." Ra'jel said ever since he had failed in his mission to help Renee Palmer save the human race he had felt them working to do the impossible. A dead race attempting to resurrect it's last child.

Liam Nevile Kincaide managed to right himself as the toxic energy charge faded from his body. He got up and pursued the Taelon knowing if he escaped he was dead the Atavus would kill him for his failure. He finally caught up with Ra'jel to find him standing in the remains of the Royal Stasis hub all the chambers had been relocated to earth but the energy pool and actual structure remained. He stared somewhat in shock as Nine rings pulsed and spun above the pool which glowed brighter. "What the hell is happening?" He said momentarily forgetting that he should be imprisoning the Taelon.

Ra'jel said nothing only watched as Light seemed to erupt from the pool as a body once destroyed as it completed it's final mission was reconstructed and restored to what it had once been. He watched as the form appeared first as glowing energy then solidifying into the form of a man who should have died years ago. "Welcome back Major." He said addressing him as all Taelons had known him.

Liam stood there in a daze he noticed Colonel Kincaide was here and that he was a hybrid. 'I'd better take care of him while I still can.' He thought his mind still connected to the place he had been as he moved forward reaching out toward the stunned hybrid who tried to shy away a moment to late. Liam grabbed him by the arm and placed a hand on his chest and focused accessing the infinite plane of energy for what he knew would be the last time to do what he could for Colonel Kincaide.

Kincaide stared in shock as he watched Liam approach. 'What the hell is going on he's dead I know he's dead so why did he suddenly reappear and why is he walking toward me.' he thought in shock he tried to shy away but the other man was to fast for him. As Liam touched him he felt a jolt run threw him then he blacked out.

Liam stood there above the collapsed form of Colonel Kincaide. "First we find me some clothes then we get to work." he said addressing Ra'jel. He noticed the Taelon was glancing at the man lying at his feet. "Don't worry he's no longer a threat when he wakes up he may even be an ally if he can live with himself."

Howlyn set in his chair again thinking of Renee Palmer he had owned her for nearly two years before she managed to escape and rejoin the resistance. He had offered a major reward no matter how useless any human that bought her in would be made into a Hybrid and rewarded well. "Pitiful creatures why are they so loyal to their own kind." He knew someone would eventually turn her in the problem was the humans who still resisted him protected her.

"We have a problem." An atavus said as he ran into the room. Howlyn grabbed him by the throat and he made a weak gasping sound. Howlyn waited for a few seconds then threw him to the ground. "Forgive the Intrusion my lord." He said knowing just how close to death he came barging into the presence of his king like that. Howlyn just gestured for him to continue. "The Taelon Mothership has gone inter-dimensional we have no idea where it has gone."

"What!" Howlyn jumped to his feet with a roar. "Portal an assault team up there and kill that Taelon." He said the word as a curse. "And if that Atavus Hybrid who failed to keep him contained is still alive bring him before me." He would take great pleasure in ripping the heart out of such an incompetent.

"We have already tried sir the portals on the mothership are nonfunctional." He saw Howlyn get up and pace toward him a feral anger shining in his eyes. "The engineers believe the ship will cease functioning soon it would have taken most of the remaining energy to power up the inter-dimensional drive." Howlyn turned and smiled darkly it was the last thing that Atavus ever saw.

Renee finished dressing in the long sleeved shirt as she heard alarms sounding. Grabbing her gloves to cover the scars on her hands she headed out to the main room of the resistance base she was currently in. "What's going on?" She asked she saw Street, Augur and the other techs working hurriedly at the consoles.

"The Taelon mothership just left Earth orbit and disappeared into Inter-dimensional space." Boone said coming up behind her. Gray hair just starting to show at his temples and a few lines around his eyes. "The Atavus are in an uproar about it they have gone on full lock down of all facilities."

"Ra'jel must still be up there he must have gotten loose." Renee said rather bitterly. "Of course he couldn't help us he just ran like the stinking alien he is." She noticed Street give her a sympathetic look. "Just keep me appraised." She said turning and leaving she hated seeing the looks of pity about what happened to her during those two years as Howlyn's prisoner. She repeated her vow to never trust another alien ever again.

Colonel Kincaide awoke to a freezing cold covered in blankets. "What's going on where am I?" He asked as he struggled to rise trying to push back the heavy load of blankets covering him. A hand drifted in and gently pushed him back down. He looked up to see Ra'jel and the past ten years flooded back into his memory.

Ra'jel heard the sick sounding moan from the hybrid. "You were not in control of your actions Colonel." The Taelon said calmly. "Were it not for the Major you would have remained under the control of the Atavus DNA in your system." He paused. "Unfortunately moving the ship away from Earth to a safe place to begin work on it has drained most of the remaining power and the environmental system is down as an Atavus hybrid you are extremely vulnerable to the cold." Ra'jel turned. "All three of us will die unless the Major can get the engines the Atavus tried to install five years ago working."

Kincaide set there listening quietly finally he asked a question. "What is the Major he's not human is he?" He saw Ra'jel blush. "I need to know if I'm going to die today I need to know what and who he is."

Ra'jel nodded. "Very well the major's origin lies millions of years ago with a race called the Kimera." Ra'jel felt Da'an drift closer to the surface of his memory as he related things only Da'an had known about the major's life to the colonel.

Liam groaned as he struggled to make the necessary connections on the first of the partially installed Atavus designed engines. "Figures the Atavus would give up before finishing the installation." He knew the Atavus had come to believe the two systems were incompatible and they were but it was because the mothership didn't understand the technology not because it couldn't use it. The Atavus like Zo'or had underestimated exactly how intelligent the ship was. He knew he could share his knowledge of the Atavus Technology that he inherited from Ha'gel which was gained when the Atavus on the home world had been saved from cannibalizing each other after the more violent clans left.

He finally finished and reached out to touch the wall of the ship. 'I'm glad Ra'jel agreed to watch Colonel Kincaide he might think I'm nuts if he knew I was doing this." Liam initiated a sharing with the ship focusing on showing it all he knew about the Atavus. He was truly surprised at how aware the ship was it seemed over joyed to see him. "I'm not Taelon" he said and his eyes widened in shock as he realized something. "I'll be damned."

"How long before you'll be able to initiate the engine." He asked as he removed his hand from the wall of the mothership. The ship responded verbally telling him approximately two hours and that the temperature would drop even more he should take precautions.

Colonel Kincaide looked up as Liam entered he was amazed to find the other man dressed in civilian clothes. "I thought the only things in the lockers were Volunteer Uniforms?" He was still trying to digest what Ra'jel had told him.

Liam shrugged. "All companion protectors kept extra sets of clothes on the mothership in case we had to stay overnight during a crisis." Liam said. "Just like I raided the Volunteer barracks to get those blankets." He turned toward Ra'jel. "Why did Da'an never tell me the Mothership was built around an Old Kimera vessel?"

"He felt your knowing would accomplish nothing." Ra'jel said noticing the hurt look on Liam's face at that. "I am curious as to how you have discovered major I did not think working to install one of those engines would reveal such a fact."

"I had to share my knowledge of Atavus Technology with the ship she revealed her origins to me." Liam said noticing the temperature was starting to drop. "Move over Colonel it's going to get a lot colder and neither one of us have the advantage of being immune to cold like Ra'jel." Liam slid under the covers and noticed how stiffly the other man was laying.

"I shall see if I may locate anything to assist with keeping your warm." Ra'jel said standing and leaving the room. He was troubled by a strange sadness he knew what the Kimera had done but the part of him that was Da'an was still deeply saddened at what the major had given up to help them.

Colonel Kincaide had to know. "What did you do to me?" He asked calmly. "The last ten years I was a monster and I only just realize it now." When he saw the other man wasn't going to answer. "Ra'jel told me all about you and I think I deserve to know what you did to me."

"I got rid of your need to feed and with it most of your Atavistic Urges." Liam said after a moment. "You can still feed and if you get seriously injured you'll have to feed on an atavus or an atavus hybrid to recover." He saw a question in the other man's eyes. "I can't do so to the other hybrids." He sighed. "I was only able to free you from the need to feed because I was still connected to the infinite Plane of energy that runs threw everything in the universe." He sighed sadly. "If only Ra'jel hadn't failed to stop Howlyn from firing the Mothership's weapons I could still be there or perhaps I'd have finally moved on to what comes after Death."

"I would think you'd know you've been dead for over ten years." Colonel Kincaide said wondering about the sad tone in Liam's voice. "I mean weren't you in the afterlife?" He saw Liam shake his head no. "Then where were you?"

"Between Life and Death I was supposed to wait till Renee needed me and then act as her guide in the final conflict but things went wrong." Liam closed his eyes and didn't say anything more.

Ra'jel choose that moment to return carrying two six inch wide three inch tall cylinders which he set on either side of the mound of blankets. Waving his hand over them fire appeared over top of them. "We Taelons do not use Fire for heat but it has an aesthetic appeal." He turned. "I shall go bring the rest."

And as Ra'jel left the room Liam spoke up again. "Now lets just hope the mothership can get that generator working and eviromental back up or you'll find out what lies beyond death." Liam said watching the colonel jump out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't you mean we'll?" He saw Liam turn away but something about Liam's posture told him that the other man wouldn't answer that question. He wondered why but then realized he probably didn't want to know the answer.

Liam set up with a shock when he felt Colonel Kincaide getting out. "Stop the cold will..." he trailed off a she realized it was no longer cold. "How long have I been out." He saw the Colonel checking a watch.

"You've been out about eight hours I just woke up myself." He offered a hand to Liam who took it and pulled him to his feet. "Lets go find Ra'jel and see what he's up too." He had in truth set there thinking long and hard about things after the other man had gone to sleep and decided despite him not being human he trusted him.

They finally found Ra'jel and were shocked to see a blond haired silver suited woman with him. "How did the Ship get a representation like the Kimera vessel?" Liam blurted out ignoring the confused look the colonel was giving him.

"This is not a Kimera representation." The woman spoke. "This is a Jaridian Replicant I can use to repair myself over the next few months and defend myself if the Atavus locate and board me."

"The Ship is so badly damaged it will take months for it to regenerate fully and since I haven't the core energy to survive that long; I will go with you and do what I can on earth before my passing." Ra'jel said calmly. "And this Replicant can see too it the Ship will be fully repaired."

Liam nodded and then noticed something he had thought was gone. "Is that what I think it is." He said gesturing to the blonde haired man held in stasis behind them. "Isn't that the original biosurrogate prototype." Once Ra'jel had confirmed it Liam smirked. "I think I have an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Challenging Fate

"How'd you learn to do this." Colonel Kincaide asked as he watched the major reprogramming the biosurogate. "I thought Augur did all the technical stuff for the resistance?" He saw the other man look up with a frown on his face before going back to what he was doing.

"He did but since he's not here I'm doing it with her help." He said doing a vague gesture at the wall. "The Mothership has all the data on this project anyway and it's not like I don't have all of Ha'Gel's memories to draw on." He glanced up again to see a quizzical look on the Colonel's face. "By the way what should I call you I mean Liam is out since it's the only name I've got and I'm not giving it up so which is it Neville, Kincaide or Colonel."

"Kincaide is fine." He paused. "Speaking of your father I have a question why did the Kimera save the Atavus from Extinction." He watched Liam grow stiff. "I really want to know why given how brutal the Atavus are; I mean doesn't that make the kimera monsters since they saved them." He hated thinking that he'd been part of it for ten years he had to know why anyone would ever help such a disgusting race.

"You've got to understand these are the violent clans." He paused. "Okay originally on the Atavus home-world there were two distinct Caste of clans." He paused momentarily. "Warrior clans and the philosophical ones." Liam spoke quietly. "When disaster wiped out their food source on their home-world the Warrior clans left determined to find a new food source and survive at any cost."

"However the Philosophical clans believed it was their fate to die because of their praying on the life of other species and choose to remain on their home-world and die." He paused for a moment to adjust part of the Biosurogate programming. "Anyway the Kimera found them and interbred passing on the Shaqarava that allowed the Atavus to survive without feeding on the life force of others." Liam smiled rather oddly. "You know to the Kimera the Atavus were beautiful creatures." He saw the look the colonel was giving him.

"I mean their Energy patters so vibrant and alive it's no wonder they were attracted to it." He chuckled. "The Kimera can take on any appearance they want so they were more attracted to the energy of the Atavus than anything else and they were lonely." He seemed to grow sad. "They were the youngest of the old races and the oldest of the young stuck in the middle they wanted someone like them companions in their quest to learn all they could."

"They saw in the Atavus that potential and choose to encourage it to create a companion species." He glanced over at the colonel. "You know you can do more than kill with that energy inside you don't you." He saw the colonel shake his head. "Oh right the Atavus wouldn't have bothered explaining to a hybrid, but anyway you can heal others for one." He finished altering the program. "I'm done with the Biosurogate and that's why the Kimera saved the Atavus any other questions Kincaide?"

"Just one why did the Taelons exterminate the Kimera wouldn't they have been the companion race the kimera wanted?" He was shocked when Liam laughed. "Why do you find that funny?"

"The Taelons thought they were yes but their immortality cult ruined any chance of the kimera ever seeing them as equals." He paused. "The Taelon core energy is the opposite of the Atavus it's cold and feels like death to the kimera they wanted no part of it." He sobered. "Rather than believe they had made a mistake the Taelons assumed the kimera feared them and would try to destroy them." He got an extremely sad expression on his face. "They Attacked suddenly and wiped out most of the kimera at once at a breeding gathering." Liam had to resist the urge to show how angry that made him. "The kimera only gathered to propagate the race once ever few thousand years; after all their long life spans made it unnecessary for them to breed with the frequency humans do."

"Your saying the Taelons wiped them out when they had gotten together to have children?" Kincaide said in shock and horror. "I can't believe you could ever stand to be on the same ship with them."

"I didn't know this originally after I died I finally got to see Ha'Gel's memories." Liam shrugged. "And during the ten years we spent preparing to try to bring me back I mulled over the facts and just accepted it as the past." He glanced down at the biosurogate again. "I couldn't work with Ra'jel if I hadn't." He glanced over at the colonel to see him sitting quietly. "We should go get the shuttle ready now once we load the biosurrogate we are off to Earth." Though Liam silently added in his head. 'or what's left of it.'

In the royal palace of the Atavus Howlyn paced his anger visible. "Brother sit down." Ralyn spoke her deceptively soft voice covering up how deadly she really was. She was Howlyn's youngest Sibling like the rest of the royals she and her guards had been buried separately to keep them all from being eliminated at once should something happen to a royal stasis chamber. "You need not concern yourself with the mothership it was just a dead husk of a ship anyway."

"That isn't what concerns me I want Renee Palmer brought before me again I must have a worthy heir or I will lose the royal throne." The sibling closest to him in age Draklyn already had a child and was beginning to curry favor with the other Atavus. "I have to have an heir or I'll be found unfit to rule."

"You could always take a concubine to produce another heir till you caught this Palmer woman you are so found of." She heard his violent growl and knew he would never agree. "But since you obsession will not allow you I believe I have a solution." She smiled at him darkly. "But it will require you giving me a toy that you've kept locked in stasis as a trophy of your victory over the humans with the aide of the motherhsips weapons." She watched her brothers face as she said "I'll need Agent Ronald Sandoval."

"Absolutely not Sandoval stays where I put him." Howlyn said anger clear as he raised his fist to slap her for daring to even suggest he released that human. He watched her take the blow like a true royal as she turned to glare back at him defiantly. "My decision is finale."

"Then you'll never get Renee Palmer." Ralyn said angrily at turned and left the room hearing his howl of anger at her daring to turn her back on him. "Like it or not Brother you need me far more than I need you." She smile darkly Howlyn may have won the kingship by enslaving the humans but the longer the resistance went on the weaker his position became while she knew she'd never rule since she was the youngest and physically weakest of the siblings. She also knew she'd be the power behind the throne since what she lacked in strength she made up for in cunning.

She wasn't surprised when Howlyn Followed her to her chambers and threw her violently against the wall. "Something the matter brother." She said sweetly watching his anger increase. "But since I know you'll never give me Sandoval without proof what if I turn someone else with Core energy into a hybrid first to prove I can?"

"Who do you have in mind?" Howlyn asked he didn't believe for a second she could actually do it. None of the Atavus technicians had found a way to drain a human of core energy in other to make them vulnerable to feeding or hybridization. Of course he'd humor her like it or not she was a Royal and one of the few who he knew wouldn't support his brother over him. If only because Drakyn hated her with a passion.

"William Boone." She smiled. "I'll bring you William Boone as a creature more violent than most of our full blooded brethren if I do that will you give me Ronald Sandoval so I may bring you Renee Palmer?" She said calmly. Howlyn merle nodded his head. She turned and left. 'I know you think I'm crazy brother but perhaps if you didn't look down on human and Taelon technology you'd have already had Renee Palmer.' She smiled she'd kept it a secret to herself that she stumbled upon research saying how to remove Core energy from people planning to use it as a trump card when she needed it.

The Shuttle landed in a barren tunnel. "Where are we?" Kincaide asked as the four of them disembarked. Ra'jel seemed to lean on one of the walls by what appeared to be a badly damaged escalator.

"Underneath what's left of the pentagon in what was the metro platform." Liam said calmly. "The Closest suitable place I can remember to where we have to be lets go change the future." He saw the looks they were giving him. "Basically there are moments when no matter how set the future seems small things change it this is one of them." He paused. "The Last one was when Ra'jel took a bit too long ordering the mothership to scan Howlyn's energy signature."

"You have knowledge of the future then Major?" Ra'jel asked curiously. "I would think most of what you learned in death would fade when you lived again?" He saw Liam shrug. "I see so there are gaps in your memory already."

"Exactly and if we are going to prevent that particularly nasty future I remember we have to keep Renee from getting captured on this raid she's doing today." He pauses staring off into space. "We have to hurry if we don't leave now we may not make it in time." With that Liam gestured toward the biosurrogate. "Keep this shuttle safe it's our way back to the mothership when she's fixed." The Biosurrogate nodded and set down in the pilot's chair it's eyes seemingly void of life.

Renee Palmer leaned down behind the ruined wall of what was once maybe a convience store. Silently watching the road for the latest convoy of rounded up humans to be taken for food for the atavus. She glanced over at the other Resistance members who had come with her. This squad was her favorite they had all suffered allot at the hands of the Atavus and never let up until they accomplished their mission or were dead. She gestured to them to take their positions as she saw the transport in the distance.

In the liar Street looked down to see her son looking up at her. "What is it Connor?" She asked of the small five year old boy. "Shouldn't you be with Lili and the other kids?" She knew Boone or Renee would have a fit if they saw her with her young son around all the irreplaceable equipment.

"I just wanted to tell you something important Mommy." The little boy said tugging on her pants leg so she'd bend down to him. Once she learned down he put his head to her ear and said. "Daddy came back to life." With that he turned and headed off. "I'm going to play now." He said heading back toward the nursery area of the base.

Street stood there in shock and turned back to work quickly to keep anyone from seeing exactly how shocked she was. 'Okay he couldn't possible be right could he?' She thought wondering if the strange moments were her son was incredibly accurate about things. 'It's impossible Liam can't be alive he died ten years ago.' She thought she had never revealed who the father of her son was everyone had assumed she'd just had a fling and gotten pregnant except Augur who she was pretty sure had guessed and Dr. Park who had helped her pull it off. She felt a pang when she remembered how Dr. Park had died three years ago she would always be grateful to the other woman for saving her son.

Renee motioned for the others to make their move as they sprang on the transport and quickly disabled it. 'This is almost too easy.' Renee thought as they delt with the hybrids and some of her group went to open the cages. 'Wait too easy.' She realized exactly what was going on. "Don't open those gates everyone fall back it's a trap." She yelled but it was too late out of the slave cages came a horde of Atavus. Full blooded and obviously meaning to kill or capture everyone of them. There had to be at least 30 full blooded atavus the most she had ever seen in one location at one battle they didn't stand a chance.

She saw four of her people go down at once and the rest scrambling back to her. 'I'll never be taken alive.' She thought as she prepared to point her gun at her self she would die before she ever let Howlyn abuse her like that again. Before she could however a blast of Energy slammed into the middle of the Atavus Horde blowing a large number of them to pieces and throwing most of the rest threw the air like rag dolls. "What the hell." She turned and saw a ghost as Liam stood there Shaqarava raised and glowing brightly.

"Move it Renee." Liam yelled as he took aim at the scattered Atavus and continued firing burst of Shaqarava energy that killed any Atavus it hit. "Renee Behind you." He yelled she turned to see an Atavus heading toward her. She was shocked when a shape impacted it pinning it to the ground she was even more shocked when the man revealed a set of cleaves marking him a hybrid and stabbed them into the Atavus heart. "Kincaide Get Renee back here Ra'jel make sure none of the Atavus get to close to the others."

Kincaide grabbed Renee and pulled her toward the others where she noticed that Ra'jel had appeared glowing brightly driving the other Atavus back. As Liam continued to pick them off from a distance with his Shaqarava. Several had bolted toward him but non were getting close enough to do him any harm. One of them lept toward her and her hybrid rescuer. She was shocked when he pushed her into the dirt and then grappled with the Atavus a bit. She noticed rather surprised that he was an extremely good fighter. 'Probably special forces before being made a hybrid.' Part of her was screaming for to shoot them both.

Renee watched with her people still in a shocked Daze as Liam and the hybrid finished off the other Atavus. "Who are you?" Renee asked as Liam walked up several of her soldiers were looking nervously at the Hybrid and the Taelon who leaned on him for support. "And Ra'jel what are you doing here you left on the mothership." She tried to keep the accusing tone out of her voice.

"The Mothership is a derelict in space now." Liam said speaking up neither Kincaide nor Ra'jel argued since they had agreed on the shuttle flight to earth not to tell anyone it was being fixed since if anyone betrayed that secret the Atavus would be prepared for it. "And it's me Renee Liam I'll explain in more detail later but we need to get out of here. "He saw her staring at him skeptically. "You told me when we watched the skrill queen give birth that you hadn't expected to feel anything." Renee stared at him in shock. "Relax Renee I'll explain everything but we need to get out of here Howlyn may send troops to check on why it's taking so long for you to be brought to him."

That snapped Renee out of it. "What about the hybrid we can't take him with us?" She noticed several of her troops nodding in agreement. She expected outrage from the hybrid but all she got was a cool indifference she saw him watching Liam with Concern and then she noticed it Liam looked like he was about to collapse.

"Yes we can he doesn't have to feed." Liam said calmly. "I cured him of that need and the other Atavistic Urges before I lost all the powers being a kimera spirit gave me." he chuckled. "Besides I doubt any of you can carry me the distance back to your base but Kincaide as a hybrid can do it no sweat." With that Liam fainted.

Renee was slightly relieved when the hybrid caught him before he hit the ground. "Ra'jel what happened?" Ra'jel turned to glance at Liam and started to speak when he shuddered and his false form flickered before stabilizing. "And what's going on with you?"

"I merle need to rest as does he Colonel." Ra'jel said calmly. "We must leave Ms. Palmer I sense Atavus nearby and without the major's abilities we would loose." He turned toward Renee. "Colonel Liam Neville Kincaide is the man the Major impersonated he is free of Atavus control he can be trusted."

Renee didn't comment that she didn't trust Ra'jel either but she turned. "Well come on lets get out of here." She wasn't surprised when one of her squad got up close to her. "I know you don't want to risk taking a hybrid but what choice do we have just watch him if he makes any threatening moves kill him." The Squad member nodded and she relaxed that was another reason she had chosen this squad they understood debts of honor and while they wouldn't let their guard down they'd let the hybrid filth live since he helped save them.

Liam awoke as they were nearing the entrance to the base. "I'm glad to see the Liar survived." Liam remarked as they approached the ruins of the Church that stood over the resistance base. "Sorry for making you carry me all the way here but I over extended myself fighting the Atavus." Liam said noticing the Colonel didn't look tired at all. "It's because of the Atavan Energy you absorbed by the way." He saw everyone looking at him quizzically. "The fact you feel like someone replaced your blood with Caffeine." The Colonel nodded and turned to glance back impassively at the soldiers watching him warily.

Street stood with Boone and Augur going over their latest idea that Augur had cooked up to try to modify energy weapons to be able to kill Atavus more effectively. She was still disturbed by what her son had said and then she froze as the lift opened and he walked in with Renee. She didn't care how he came back or what he would say when he found out what she did all she cared about was that he was back. "Liam." Street yelled bolting across the room and grabbing him into a fierce hug.

Boone froze seeing Colonel Kincaide as well and noticed Augur was staring at the man Street was hugging tightly like he'd see a ghost. Then realized Street had called him Liam that meant he was Ha'Gel's son. Boone Froze in shock seeing him.

To Be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Revelations

The Gathered group set in the Conference Room Street had finally been pried off Liam as she refused to let go at first afraid he was going to disappear. Ra'jel set in a chair looking extremely weak for a Taelon. "I suppose you want to know how I came back?" Liam said from where he was sitting. "Well a quick summery would be things went wrong and so the kimera brought me back to try to set things on a path as close as we could get to the one that we deviated from when Ra'jel failed to stop Howlyn's assault on earth." Liam paused. "I mean we nearly didn't make it rebuilding my body was taking to long so they had to do some short cuts." He noticed several of the medical doctors who had been given Liam's file by Augur look up with interest. "Well My genetic structure is damaged if I wasn't part Kimera I'd be in serious trouble and I can never have kids among other things."

"So what do we have to do to change this future you were trying to prevent?" Renee asked she really hoped he wasn't going to claim they had to try to make peace with the Atavus since he was currently traveling with a hybrid. She still didn't fully trust the hybrid but a quick DNA scan had shown massive differences in his DNA compared to other hybrids far more than a simple mutation could account for.

"We just changed it you got caught and ended up as Howlyn's queen and the resistance Fell." Liam saw Renee flinch. "You were made into a hybrid one of the Atavus I don't remember who has stumbled on the way Zo'or removed core energy from people." he paused. "And I really wish I could remember but going from knowing nearly anything I wanted back to the limits of the living isn't exactly conductive to good recall."

Colonel Kincaide could see the looks of horror on the resistance leaders faces their strongest advantage he knew had always been the rounding up of all the core energy they could salvage from old Taelon installations and medical facilities to use as a means of protecting their troops. "It was probably Ralyn." He saw Liam and the others spin to face him. "She's a Royal and downright sneaky she used to ask allot of questions of us hybrids about Human and Taelon Technologies."

"And how would you know this Hybrid scum." One of the Resistance members spoke up angrily. "Did you tell her all about how Core energy could be removed?" Everyone turned to see that it had come from one of the doctors.

"Dr. Cox sit down." Boone said firmly the doctor did so. "Still if the Atavus can remove the obstacle of core energy why haven't they started doing so yet?" He saw Kincaide look away. "Do you know something?"

"Only a rumor Will." Kincaide said calmly. "As far as what the hybrids talked about in the barracks is that Ralyn liked to keep her advantages to herself." He saw them waiting for him to continue. "Whenever a hybrid went on an important mission for one of the other royalty she'd seduce them to get the information out of them." He stopped as he noticed a small boy had appeared next to Liam and got him to bend down so he could whisper in his ear. He being an Atavus hybrid could hear them and the words made no sense. "Who's kid is that?"

Street jumped up in shock. "Connor your supposed to be with the others." She had hoped to avoid revealing who Connor's father was until she had a chance to talk to Liam alone. "The grown ups need to talk sweety."

Kincaide noticed several of resistance leaders shaking their head in exasperation. He was about to continue with his original train of thought when he noticed something bizarre. The Kid had a similar scent of life to that of Liam. He started to ask when Liam caught his eye and shook his head no. "Anyway Ralyn is probably keeping it as an advantage and if you'd got caught she'd have revealed it to Howlyn to secure herself a place of power."

"It does make sense." Boone admitted he noticed that Kincaide kept glancing at where Ha'Gel's son was carrying on a whispered conversation with Street's boy. He was wondering if his former friend was considering the boy for a meal when the kid grabbed Liam in a quick hug and left. "So if this Ralyn does know we need to take her out."

Liam watched as Boone at the others began to plan. "Ra'jel how much core energy do you have left." Renee asked eyeing the Taelon. Liam wasn't surprised to notice it was a purely academic look she seemed to not be concerned at all for the Taelon.

"About forty eight hours Ms. Palmer I will pass on as much of my knowledge of Jaridian weaponry as I can in that time." He flushed blue the strain of holding his human facade beginning to get to him.

Several of the doctors were wondering why Jaridian weaponry and not Taelon. "Jaridian Weaponry is closer to our own technology." Liam spoke up overhearing their mutterings. "It's easier for us to adapt it and it was designed to kill Taelons who are very hard to kill when they are at full strength." He turned toward Ra'jel. "I could try awakening your Shaqarava but it might tear you apart but it could prolong your life."

"No major I am incapable of controlling shaqarava." Ra'jel said gravely. "I will merely leave what help I may in the form of weapons." Ra'jel stood up calmly and turned toward the doctors. "Shall we begin."

The meeting ended with Boone saying they'd reconvene in the morning to discuss how they planned to go after Ralyn. Liam gestured for Kincaide to follow him as they were leaving. "We need to talk to Street about that thing you noticed." Liam said quietly so only the hybrid senses of the Colonel would here.

Renee watched worriedly as Liam and the hybrid cornered Street and headed into an isolated room. "Don't worry about it." She jumped and turned to see Augur. "Juliet can handle herself and I trust Liam."

"It's not Liam I'm worried about." Renee said darkly. "I can't believe he brought a hybrid here." She saw Augur looked unconcerned. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"I told you Renee I trust Liam besides I met Colonel Kincaide once if he's really free of Atavus control he'll be a great help." Augur saw her turn away and walk off. "I don't think she trust Liam as much as she might claim." He said to his friend William Boone who walked up beside him.

"How can you and the other people who knew him trust him so much." Boone said curious he'd never seen someone who folks who hadn't seen in over ten years yet still fell all over thier self to accept before. "I mean how do you even know it's him?"

"It's not the first time he's come back from the dead." Augur said with a wry smile. "And Liam is just one of these people you recognize no matter how few times you see him." He decided to ask Boone something that had been bugging him. "How do you feel about your old friend turning up as a hybrid?"

"I don't know how to feel Augur I really don't." Boone said his tone giving away exactly how confused he was. "If there is a way to cure the hybrids it means we've been killing people we could have saved."

"There is not Commander." Ra'jel said from behind him. Boone and Augur turned to see Ra'jel standing with Dr. Brittany Cox one of the former Taelon employed researchers who as now head of their weapons division. "It was a fluke Liam no longer has access to the higher dimensional attributes being dead gave him and Colonel Kincaide is a rare man to have retained so much humanity for so many years." Ra'jel seemed to falter and walked away with Dr. Cox who told him to come with her there was a place he could sit and work.

Boone was worried Dr. Cox was brilliant but had been almost fanatically involved with the Church of the Companions and seemed to be showing a great deal of reverence to Ra'jel. He knew the church of the companions still existed saying the Taelons would return someday to save them from the Atavus. He feared that the brilliant Dr. Might see Ra'jel as something of a savior. "Augur what projects does Dr. Cox over see?" He asked something was pricking at his CVI memory but it'd been so many years his CVI hardly functioned at all anymore.

"She handles weapons now." Augur said with a pause glancing at his friend. "But she used to be in charge of the group of scientist who thought they could transform Atavan energy into a Synthetic core energy." He paused. "The project was canceled after the side effects to the synthetic energy turned up as I'm sure you'll recall they weren't pleasant." Boone could only nod no one liked talking about that disaster.

Street sighed as Liam and the hybrid stood there quietly. "Why did you bring him along?" She asked wondering why Liam had told her they needed to talk about Connor then brought the hybrid with them. She had planned to tell Liam as soon as she got him alone but she didn't want the hybrid to know she may trust Liam but she didn't want that monster to know about her son.

"Tell her what you noticed when Connor was talking to me." Liam said calmly. He saw Street's eyes widen. "And yes Street I already know the Kimera kind of helped prevent rejection." He saw her eyes widen as the missing piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

"I still don't know what's going on but that kid has the same life energy type as him." Kincaide said. "I guess you know Atavus see energy it's what lets us know if something can be eaten or not." The Atavus gleam went threw his eyes. "Liam is a lot brighter than anyone else in this room and that kid is running a close second why?"

"He's my son." Liam said watching the other man start. "Well sort of Street and I were never together seeing as how I was dead but there were still some samples of my DNA left in the care of a Dr. Melissa Park." He glanced over at the shell shocked people in the room. "I think you should take over the story from here Street."

"It was after Renee got captured a few years ago." She paused. "I was really lonely and depressed and for some reason decided if only there was something of Liam left behind." She paused. "I approached Dr. Park about it since there had been a few successful pregnancy's of the type done before the destruction of the Earth." She sighed. "She missed Liam as much as I did and agreed to it." She paused. "It took us a few months to get the necessary equipment and even then Dr. Park warned me the odds of the embryo not being rejected were slim she said it was truly a miracle when it took on the first try and nine months later Connor was born." She glanced away. "We never told anyone else since we were afraid folks would try to use Connor as a weapon since Dr. Park confirmed he had Shaqarava though he can't use them yet.'

"That's one reason why I wanted you to know Colonel." Liam said calmly. "I want your word if something happens to me you'll make sure my son isn't used as a weapon I don't want his Shaqarava awakened early." He turned and hugged Street. "Don't worry Street I'm not mad at you for what you did it's the only way I'll ever have a kid after all."

"You have it." The Colonel said his mind on what Liam had told him about the death of the kimera. "Ra'jel can't tell can he?" He saw Liam shake his head. "Don't worry he won't find out." He saw Liam and Street relax though he realized Liam might not be as much over what happened as he claimed.

Howlyn set on his throne deep in thought thirty Atavus should have been enough to bring down any Resistance group no matter how large. 'That Taelon is with them he has to be.' He thought darkly the Taelon's poisonous Energy was the only way they could have over came them. "Summon my siblings." He ordered switching on the microphone to the control room briefly. "We have much to discuss."

Ra'jel finished entering the schematics for the Jaridian's favorite heavy duty energy cannon when Dr. Cox approached softly. "What is it Doctor?" He asked softly "I do not have much time left I would prefer to spend what time I have left transcribing as much information as I can for your cause."

"I think I can save you Ra'jel." Dr. Cox said calmly. "Their is a synthetic core energy it's risky and may react badly with you but it's possible your body will tolerate it better than a human form." She leaned forward. "If it works you'd have more than enough time to share as much as your knowledge as you could." She paused. "But if we are going to do it we have to go now it takes awhile to set up the equipment to generate it."

Ra'jel pushed away the keyboard. "I believe even a chance for life is better than accepting Death." Ra'jel said as every Taelon within him clamored for the chance at life again save one. The part of him that was Da'an warned of repeating Zo'or's folly but none of the Commonality listened.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Dark Awakening

Renee ran as Howlyn came after her. "You can't run Renee give in to me you know it's inevitable." She threw a punch to his face as he grabbed her. She used the distraction to run ahead only to hit a force field. "That was a mistake Renee now you have to be punished." He said tackling her to the ground and ripping her top off. "I think we'll start on the left side today." he said drawing the energy knife she'd tried to kill him with one time when a careless Atavan worker had left it within reach of the kings pet.

Renee woke up panting. 'Just another nightmare from the past.' She thought as she continued to shake she could still feel the hot strokes of that knife lightly threw her skin just enough to make her bleed before Howlyn would rape her over and over until he got tired. 'I'll see him in the ground no matter what it takes.' Her thoughts turned darkly to the hybrid in their base. 'I cannot believe Street and Augur allowed that.' She thought darkly she'd never allow one of them even a supposedly reformed hybrid near her kids if she had any. 'Not that I ever will since I panic every time a man touches me even remotely intimately.'

"I'm surprised Augur agreed to it." Kincaide said from where he was sitting on the floor glancing across at his roommate. "I mean sure I get Street allowing it but both of them and their kids share the next room." He saw Liam giving him a quizzical look. "I don't think many folks would sleep too well with a hybrid in the next room."

"Augur trust me." Liam said calmly with a smile. "And since I'm with you he'll trust you somewhat but you know if I was sleeping somewhere else he'd never allow you back here." he saw the Colonel nod. "Why haven't you spoken up whenever anyone comments?" Several folk shad commented under their breath whenever Kincaide walked by.

"It doesn't matter." He paused. "I was a monster sure not being in control takes away some of the guilt but it doesn't take it all." He glanced away. "You know even though I know I deserve it... never mind." He turned away. "So when are we going to actually make that pallet and go to sleep?"

Liam just looked at him pointedly. "As soon as you finish saying whatever you were going to say?" Liam said there weren't any spare cots anywhere and no one would volunteer to double bunk with someone to give one up for the hybrid.

"I guess it's just they look at me like I'm the foulest thing on the planet." He turned away. "I mean the only person here who treats me like a human being is you." He glanced over at Liam. "And then the others that treat me civilly do so out of respect for you."

Liam didn't get a chance to respond as the door opened a small boy in pajama's entered the room. "I want to talk to you." He said calmly going to sit with Liam. "He's not like the other bad ones is he?" He said pointing over at the Colonel and expecting Liam to answer.

"No he used to be but I fixed him." Liam said he knew the boy would understand in allot of ways he was a normal child but he did have that awareness that only being part kimera could grant him. "And shouldn't you be asleep."

"Not sleepy." The young boy said sulkily. He glanced over at Colonel Kincaide again and asked. "Why is he so pretty and shiney?" He asked he saw the colonel start and his father burst out laughing. "What's so funny Daddy?"

Liam glanced down at him. "You know you shouldn't call me that where anyone could hear?" he saw the boy look crestfallen. "It's not that I don't want you to it's that folks might try to use you."

"I know Nana Park told me not to do any tricks near anyone but mom or her." He said quietly. "But I knew he knows." He said glancing at him. "He's tricky like us isn't he daddy?"

Liam smiled at his son and laughed. "Yeah he is." He heard a noise and turned to see Street approaching the doorway. "I think your busted." he saw the boy look down sheepishly as his mother's sleepy head came into view.

"Connor its time for you to be asleep." Street said trying to keep her voice calm when she woke up and found him not in his bed she had nearly panicked. "Say goodnight then back to bed okay sweetie."

"Okay." The boy said rather sulkily. "Goodnight daddy." he said quickly hugging Liam. Then to the shock of the silent Colonel went over and hugged him too. "Goodnight Mr. Shiney." He then passed a shell shocked Street heading toward his bed.

Street looked back and forth from the shell shocked hybrid to Liam who was trying very hard not to laugh. "You can explain in the morning Liam." She said turning and closing the door behind her headed to bed wondering what would posses her normally reserved son to hug someone he just met. 'Though you didn't question when he hugged Liam so much did you?' She knew why it was how she always saw Liam when she used to imagine him and her together as a couple with kids. 'She'd known it would never happen Liam only saw her as a sister and it didn't bother her anymore she had Connor and now he had his father back that was all that mattered.'

Kincaide glanced over at the smiling man. "What did he mean by that shiney stuff?" He then saw Liam start to laugh. He watched amazed to see how different the other man looked when he actually seemed to be happy. It wasn't the annoying smirk he'd seen more than ten years ago or the sad smiles he'd seen so far since he was freed it was actually happiness.

"It's your energy patterns." Liam said with a laugh. "He can see Energy patters just like you and I can." He was still smiling. "He knows we are different than other people and since Dr. Park and Street told him his extra abilities where just tricks he thinks ours are too." He smiled. "It's a good thing Street has some unique abilities of her own or she'd not know how to deal with some of what he can do." He saw the Colonel looking at him strangely. "Street has a gift for thinking in multidimensional mathematics it's hard on her though; it'll probably be easier for Connor."

"Why would my energy patters cause him to describe me as Pretty and shiney?" Kincaide asked and then he saw Liam start snickering again. He couldn't help but grin this was the lightest conversation he'd had in a long time he imagined it was for the other man as well.

"I told you Kimera are attracted to Atavan energy patterns." Liam snickered some more. "So to Us your really attractive." He glanced over at the colonel. "It's just the way of things you smell of life and Kimera are attracted to it." He snickered taking on a mean look. "So if I ever start staring at you don't worry I'm not after your body."

"And what's wrong with my body." Kincaide shot back before laughing. He frowned when he looked back and Liam was running an analytical eye over him.

"Nothing." Liam said with a smirk watching the Colonel's eyes widen a bit in shock. He then began to laugh quietly to himself. Kincaide soon joined him and the two were trying hard not to get loud enough to wake up the people in the next room.

Dr. Cox finished the process and called out to Ra'jel. "Here it is Ra'jel enough Synthetic core energy for you to live Ten thousand years." She smiled. "You'll probably not live that long since you'll use allot of it in battle with the Atavus but still you'll be around a long time." She smiled she had converted every scrap of Atavan energy they had on hand for research.

Ra'jel looked skeptically on the green energy contained in the tank. "That does not appear to match Core energy very closely?" He could feel Da'an once again insisting that it was dangerous to follow Zo'ors example. "Are you sure it will work like core energy?"

"Yes all our test showed it behaved almost exactly like core energy the only downside is it worked too well in humans." She made no move to explain further. "This is your only option for Survival Ra'jel if you don't go threw with this you will die."

Ra'jel felt a shudder internally and their resolve reaffirmed shunting Da'an aside easily as he begged for them not to repeat this folly. "Very well Dr. Cox." Ra'jel stepped forward into the rigged up Energy shower.

Dr. Cox smiled and activated the shower. She watched with a smile on her face as the energy was absorbed into him and beginning to act just like core energy. She watched his blue form beginning to get tinged green as the energy continued to poor in. "Ra'jel is everything going well should I stop and see how it's affecting you?"

"No give me more." Ra'jel said darkly as he opened himself up letting the energy flow into him fully. He still wanted more he'd never felt such life such warmth. "Give it all to me now Doctor I've never felt so strong." He said calmly. "I will be able to defeat the Atavus easily and rebuild the Taelon Race." He said and Dr. Cox complied she opened it up to maximum and watched as Ra'jel continued to absorb it.

Dr. Cox was relieved when the energy shower ended and Ra'jel's facade reappeared she had begun to get worried as the blue was almost totally gone from Ra'jel's energy form. "Well Ra'jel how do you feel?"

Ra'jel looked up sharply. "More." He said in a commanding tone. Looking at her with a determined expression on his face. "I must have more." He said approaching the doctor. "You will make more."

"I can't Ra'jel we don't have any more Atavus life energy to alter maybe in a few days." She tried to keep her voice level she was afraid of him that expression didn't look right on the Taelons face. "Besides you have more than enough life energy now you'll live for centuries."

"No I must have more." Ra'jel said then grimaced. "It hurts doctor I need more to make the pain stop." He saw the doctor's eyes widen in fear and looked at his hands small slivers were appearing in his skin. The part of him that was Da'an screamed in rage that it couldn't happen again not this again. "Dr. you must get more or I will become lost." Ra'jel winced as spasms racked his body. "More!" He suddenly screamed in a growling deep voice.

Dr. Cox stared in horror as his arms were thrown back revealing glowing swirls of light in his palms. "More." he said again reaching out toward her. She tried to shy away but the palms touched her and then her world exploded into pain. Ra'jel stepped back as the doctor's life energy poured into his Shaqarava and the last of his mind faded into he animal lust as his body twisted beyond comprehension into an Atavus. "More." The creature said lustfully and smashing threw the door tackled the first person it came across draining them dry leaving only a withered husk.

Renee awoke to the alarm klaxons and the sounds of screaming. She quickly grabbed her gun not bothering to hide her scars as she darted out in only a tank top and pajama bottoms. 'I'll kill that hybrid for betraying us.' She thought as she headed toward the source of the screams. She froze when she got there a hulking gray shape was throwing aside a few burnt things that may have once been people. It shot forward grabbing another of the soldiers who surrounded it firing ineffective weapons against it. She watched with a sickening feeling as their hand sunk into the flesh and the body seemed to wither right before her eyes.

She saw Boone and more troops arriving. "What the hell is that thing?" She heard several of them asking as they saw the dark shape turning to look at them darkly. She wondered if her core energy would be any protection against this thing.

Liam set upright in shock as the alarms began to sound. "Augur, Street you two stay put with your kids." Liam's tone was deadly serious. "Colonel you and I will go see what's going on." the Colonel nodded falling step behind the other man.

Kincaide normally wouldn't follow the orders of technically a civilian but he'd learned long ago during the mount weather campaign that the other man knew what he was doing. "What is it an Atavus?"

"Of sorts." Liam said calmly. "Do you remember the layout to the liar?" Liam asked the current resistance base had been based on and built around the old liar that mostly survived the destruction of the world. Kincaide nodded. "Good go around that way don't hold back on this thing strike to kill if you get a chance." Liam's voice was grave. "I'd love to save him but I don't know if that's an option."

Kincaide didn't really understand what was going on or who Liam was referring to but he wasn't going to ask questions. "Okay." Was all he said as he split off from the other man and headed around the long way to the area where the alarm originated.

Renee winced as another soldier fell this thing was killing them to fast. She took aim at it's head preparing to get it's attention when it fixed it's eyes on William Boone. 'We can't afford to loose him.' She thought knowing it was true while she nominally had command it was Boone the people respected not her and she knew it. She was about to fire when a bolt of energy slammed into the creatures side hurling it into a bank of equipment. The creature unleashed an unearthly roar.

"Back Down Ra'jel and I'll try to cure you." Liam voice said darkly. "If you get up I'll have to kill you." Renee turned to see him standing there palms glowing with his aim trained on the Atavus. "I don't know how you regressed to an Atavus Ra'jel but if you don't surrender I will kill you."

"More." The Creature roared in a dark tone as it leaped up releasing a burst of Shaqarava energy that seemed to take Liam by surprise he managed to shield himself mostly but was still thrown backwards to the ground. Renee gasped as the creature moved with inhuman speed to stand over Liam. "More." It said reaching for him.

She was shocked when a shape brushed past her slamming into the creature from behind. She recognized it as the hybrid when she saw the cleaves appear and slam into the creatures wounded side from Liam's early Shaqarava blast. The Creature let out a roar that was joined by a scream from the hybrid as a wave of energy erupted from the creature throwing him to the ground. "Everyone fire together." She yelled. "It's hurt aim for that side." Several shots landed home before the creature screamed and turning bolted at a speed faster than the eye could follow. "Where'd it go?" She asked in shock.

"He's hit the access tunnels. "Liam said moving over stiffly to kneel next to the hybrid. "He's heading away from here he's too badly hurt to continue the fight." Renee wanted to ask what he was doing. "Go find out what regressed Ra'jel into his Atavistic state something had to trigger it. " Liam placed one hand on the hybrids chest the other on his head. Renee saw Boone staring at the scene with recognition.

"Why are you healing him?" Boone asked. "He shouldn't need it not after feeding on that energy from the other creature?" Boone was having trouble believing that was really Ra'jel he'd never known a Taelon could be that much of an animal. 'Even Rho'ha wasn't that dangerous.' He thought darkly it was suddenly all the more easy to distrust the hybrid who was once his friend and the kimera hybrid.

"Something's not right about that energy it's screwing up his energy patterns." Liam calmly closed his eyes. A glow spread out ward from his palms and then he opened them as he relaxed. "Good I managed to fix them." He saw everyone looking at him. "There were becoming closer to what he was before." Liam said tiredly he sounded exhausted. "He'd have regressed to what he used to be just as Ra'jel did."

The Atavus commander scowled as he looked at his hybrid hunting party. 'Why does our king continue to use this Rabble they are worthless most of our numbers have been rived what point is there in the continued existence of these pathetic hybrids.' He thought darkly true they were superior to the basic slaves but they would never match the grandeur of a true Atavus.

"More." A dark voice suddenly howled out. He looked up to see a hideous mockery of himself bearing down on his hunter party. "More." it said almost gleefully as he watched the first of his hybrid troops burning into husk it's grip.

"Destroy it." He yelled ordering the two hybrid soldiers armed with energy weapons to take aim. He watched as the creature dodged the fire to easily to be believed. He saw them dying. "You may can defeat them but you can't beat me I am an Atavus." He said proudly attacking sinking his cleave into the creature but then frowned when he saw it's face come into view a maniac grin across it's features. He screamed as he felt it's hand pierce his body and the energy running out of him like water.

"More." The thing that was Ra'jel hissed as it moved on leaving the Atavus hunting party and the few humans they had already rounded up as nothing more than dried husk. It continued moving further away from those who hurt it to the bright place full of energy it could feel the capital City of the Atavus.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Hunting

"It was definitely the energy Dr. Cox fed into him that caused it." Augur said as they ran the video footage from the room and everyone saw Ra'jel's regression. "Near as we can figure she thought it'd work better in Ra'jel than in humans." He shook his head. "She assumed the rampant cancer the human subjects developed wouldn't affect Taelons since they have no equivalent affliction." He pulled up a screen. "Scanning for traces of that energy by our sensor poles has shown where he's heading." He brought up the map and everyone assembled gasped.

"He's heading toward the Atavus City." Renee said in shock. "Is he going there to betray us?" She said angrily toward Liam she hadn't forgiven him for letting the monster go while he saved his pet hybrid. "If he reveals the location of this facility we are dead none of the other bolt holes have the resources we do here."

"No Renee he's going to kill them." Liam said calmly. "He craves life now and that city is the largest concentration of life energy on the planet." He glanced at Augur's daughter Lili who set with Connor nearby with all the other kids their parents had been afraid to leave them in the nursery after the incident with Ra'jel. "And I think we should follow him there."

"Why so we can get captured and killed." A resistance member who had never met Liam yelled. "I mean so anxious to join the rest of you kind Hybrid one pet isn't enough for you." Augur looked furious and so did Street but Liam raised a hand to stall them.

Liam turned back to the man and merle smiled. "Ra'jel will cause mass confusion and alarm and it's our best chance to get at Ralyn that we will ever have." Liam saw Boone and Renee nod they had been thinking the same thing. "Besides if the Atavus don't kill Ra'jel I will have too."

"Why not just let him eat the bastards?" Another fighter asked. "If he's so deadly why not just let him keep chipping away at them?" He saw Liam shaking his head. "Well are you going to give me a why, since as far as I'm concerned anything with cleaves should die."

Liam smirked. "I have cleaves." He saw everyone including Kincaide looking at him in shock. "Well I do I'm part Atavus, part, Taelon, part Jaridian and a whole lot of other races." He closed his eyes. "But it's not that Ra'jel can't do allot of harm to the Atavus it's what happens if he finds a female in heat we don't need a race of hybrid Atavus with Shaqarava to rise up do we?"

Boone's face went white. "Would they mature like you did?" He asked in fear remembering Rho'ha and the recent lives Ra'jel had taken. Liam nodded everyone around the table shared a look Renee's team and the witnesses to the Ra'jel creatures rampage all knew how powerful shaqarava were.

"There's also genetic memory to worry about." Liam said calmly. "Taelons have it and it's possible the Ra'jel Atavus does as well." He saw the horror dawn in some of the resistance members who got it's faces. "We have to kill him but first we can use him to have a shot at Ralyn."

Renee nodded. "Okay Boone take a team along with the two hybrids and deal with Ralyn and Ra'jel." Her voice was calm. "The Rest of us will begin working on contingency plans in case you fail we'll need to scout out a new base." She glanced at Liam. "Liam the hybrid is your responsibility he betrays us you both die painfully." Her tone had dropped to icy venom. Liam only nodded in response.

Howlyn sat at the head of the table in the royal council chambers. Ralyn looked annoyed sitting across the table from Drakyn who kept shooting her dirty looks. Yulyn set across from his father glaring darkly at him while the other royals filtered in. Howlyn knew the only reason his father spared him was he needed the illusion of an hier till he caught the precious Palmer woman of his. "The Taelon is back on earth and with the resistance."

He saw them flinch in fear. "How do you know that?" One of the minor nobles said angrily. "I mean it's more likely that the Resistance has just developed a new weapon since you seem to be incapable of wiping them out." Several people expected an outraged explosion form Howlyn but one didn't come.

"I believe him but it's not a Taelon." Drakyn said shocking everyone. "One of the hunting teams from my territory was attacked by a creature a video of it was sent back." He saw his brothers outraged face in shock having stolen the spotlight away from his incompetent brother which would only gather him more support. He produced a disk and handed it to a hybrid servant who put it in the display.

Ralyn's eyes widened as she and the other royals watched the creature tear threw a hunting team including two full blooded Atavus once it was over everyone set in silence. "Actually brothers you are both right." The entire royal family turned to stare at her. "That is a Taelon regressed to their primal form what they call their Atavus form." She smiled not volunteering how she had come across that information not that they would ask they considered her the eccentric weak one.

"They dare call that abomination an Atavus." A young royal called out. "It's repulsive and a hideous mockery of a true Atavus." Another called out they were yelling for there to be a hunting mission sent after it.

"Enough." Howlyn bellowed regaining control of his assembly. "Drakyn you will supervise the hunt for this creature." Drakyn only nodded as Howlyn smiled. "Don't fail me brother or you will regret it."

Ralyn winced as Howlyn seeing how deadly it was tried an obvious ploy to get rid of his brother. 'The fool doesn't realize if Drakyn succeeds the glory may be enough to make him king.' She waited until they were excused then headed straight to her private labs. "I must know more of this creature." She headed into the room where her source waited. "Hello my pet I have a new job for you." She said smiling as she stroked the woman strapped helplessly in the machine. "I want you to find out everything you can about a nasty former Taelon for me."

She reached over to the dials and turned on the stimulation. She had stumbled on the machine in a lab run by the Taelon Da'an he had abandoned the project to stimulate human telepathy because of the nasty drain it placed on it's subjects. "Be a good pet now and tell me or I"ll have to turn it up." She didn't want to kill this human yet this subject was the best she'd ever hooked up to the machine she guessed the girl may have some psychic gifts of her own even without the machine.

"He craves life." The girl said calmly. "He comes to the city he will feed here and be hunted here when they come for him." The girl screamed suddenly. "I see him coming for you." Ralyn looked shocked. "I see the one who comes to kill you."

"The Creature is coming to kill me." Ralyn asked in shock what possible reason could the creature have for killing her. She saw the girl shaking her head furiously no. "Well who then."

"It hurts please turn it off." The girl said in pain. "I can't see his name but he's human." She was about to beg again for peace when Ralyn turned up the stimulation and she saw his face. "It's William Boone now make it stop please." She yelled and Ralyn cut the stimulation. The girl looked up to see her mistress smiling.

"This is the best information you have ever given me you will never be used in the machine again." Ralyn said with a smile that seemed to light up. "I shall reward you most well my favorite pet I will make you truly part of me." The girl didn't know what she meant as Ralyn unhooked her and carried her over to a chamber and then it clicked. "Your reward is to be made more like me." She smiled down at her. "You shall be my assistant what is your name girl you are about to be made a hybrid."

"Cleo." She said softly. "Thank you mistress." She truly meant it anything was better than going threw that pain again it made the visions she'd had since child hood into something terrible something awful something unbearable. A new pain bloomed in her as the chamber closed and with it a dark hunger that was very similar to the one she had felt earlier.

Kincaide glanced over at Liam as the other man was fastening the black pants. He had gotten dressed quickly into his own clothing for the mission but Liam seemed to be taking his time. "Is there a reason your dragging this on so long."

"I'm trying to think of a way to save Ra'jel." Liam said with a sigh. "So far I haven't thought of any way to save him from what he's become." He looked down. "It would be different if I was in top shape but my body is so badly damaged I don't even know if I'll be able to kill him."

"Could I help you said once this energy inside me was good for healing among other things." He saw Liam get a thoughtful look on his face. "I take it you think I might be able to help." Liam nodded. "Well how do I make it work?"

Liam seemed to look away. "Well the Atavus energy center is the heart so you'd have to place my hand against your heart and well will your energy into me." He looked up to see the colonel pulling his shirt off. Liam reluctantly put is hand against the colonel's heart but felt nothing the colonel looked frustrated. "Here let me show you first." Liam said pulling the other man hand against his own heart. Liam closed his eyes and let the energy flow out of him into the colonel. He heard the sharp intake of breath from the colonel. "Your turn just try to picture the reverse of what I did happening?"

Kincaide was just getting the hang of it when the door opened and Boone froze. "Am I interrupting something?" He saw them start apart breathing heavily. "What is going on?"

"I was teaching the colonel how to heal." Liam said with a shrug as he picked up the black sweater and pulled it on over his head. "Atavus heal threw a physical connection touching their heart." Boone looked startled by that revelation. "The Brain and the heart are important to healing that's why Taelons touch both points."

Kincaide fully dressed again turned to glance at Liam and the shell shocked expression of his former friend William Boone. "Do you really have Cleaves?" He saw Liam nod and raise his hand a brief flash of his shaqarava and then a set of wicket cleaves appeared. "Impressive." He said seeing Boone flinch. "Sorry hybrids tended to have Size contest of their cleaves."

Liam of course seemed to find it funny in some perverse way and said. "So every race really does have a mine is bigger than yours contest." Boone looked at them both warily as Kincaide joined the other man in laughing and headed out of the room.

Ralyn walked into the room where her comatose prize lay. "I've been wondering when I'd find a use for you." She said standing over the man's bed. "I knew there was a reason I didn't have you turned over to Howlyn for mind probing just to get the knowledge in your pretty little head." She smiled. "Your going to help me get William Boone."

"Mistress the Machine is all set up." Cleo said bowing to her mistress. She smiled as her mistress nodded. "Shall I prepare him mistress." She saw her mistress shake her head no and figured the mistress wanted that pleasure for herself and with a bow said. "I will await more orders in the lab mistress." She turned and left.

Ralyn smiled Cleo was turning out to be an excellent hybrid true she was only a few hours old but she was extremely loyal like a puppy. 'It's a shame to loose her psychic visions though.' She thought idly wondering if she could alter the machine to work on hybrids. 'Perhaps a hybrid would endure it better.' She pushed those musing aside that was work for after she finished assuring her place. She glanced at the comatose former resistance cell leader and began to undo the wires attached to him.

Liam glanced around at the suspicious looks he and Kincaide were getting. Boone's unit seemed even more wary than Renee's by their presence. 'I suppose going into the heart of the Atavus empire may have something to do with it.' He thought wondering what had possessed him to reveal the cleaves he only truthfully sort of had they were dormant unless activated by his Shaqarava. 'I guess I just wanted to take some of the burden off Kincaide.' He sighed. 'Don't go there Liam remember why your here.'

Kincaide sighed internally. 'Will won't even talk to me.' He thought sadly. He'd tried talking to Boone while Liam said his good-byes to Augur and promised Street that he'd come back this time. Boone had just shrugged and walked off. 'I think I'd probably let them shoot me if Liam wasn't around.' He shook himself he knew it was stupid to even think it. 'Just do what you did every day in the military ignore it and it'll be bearable.' He doubted Liam would be interested even with the whole kimera are attracted to atavan energy patterns thing.

Boone glanced back behind him to see the his former friend giving the hybrid a strange look. 'Just focus on the mission Boone what ever is going on with them isn't your business.' He winced to himself as another thought occurred. 'Unless Kincaide is just leading the other hybrid around by his dick and plans to betray us.' He decided it would be a good idea to keep an eye on them.

The thing that was Ra'jel looked at the city it's impressive wall and torrents of guns. The great Gate masking leading to it's impressive streets and deep purple buildings. He could feel the energy of the place the millions of inhabitants all of whom fairly glowed with life. The Creature felt a surge of pleasure at the thought of all that life flowing into him. "More." He said softly because he knew he would have it.

He began to move down the hill quickly anxious to get threw the wall. Since once he was inside the city the feeding would begin in earnest. He smiled as he moved his Shaqarava flaring to life as he tackled a guard he smiled down into the frightened hybrids eyes and said in a voice between a growl and a purr of pleasure. "Mine."

**Author's Note:**

> and there's where it ended. I've toyed with rewriting this off and on for years so some day it may get rewritten and finished but not any time soon and very likely never.


End file.
